Manny Bermudez celebrates after defeating Benito Lopez in a bantamweight fight at UFC on ESPN at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Bermudez won by submission in the first round. Joe Camporeale / USA TODAY Sports

UFC on ESPN: Velasquez vs. Ngannou

Manny Bermudez celebrates after defeating Benito Lopez in a bantamweight fight at UFC on ESPN at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Bermudez won by submission in the first round.
Joe Camporeale / USA TODAY Sports

But Ngannou tells a different story. According to him, the consecutive, short right-hand uppercuts that he landed were what sent the man who many regard as the greatest heavyweight in MMA history's toppling over his own twisted leg.

"The knee buckled after I hit him. You can see it in the video" Ngannou said. "Right away, I couldn't feel it because I've thrown a bunch of punches, but when he fell, I knew that I hurt him."

What happened next cannot be debated. After two more clubbing strikes from the powerful Cameroonian to the downed Arizonan, the referee stepped in and ended the fight, sending home a crowd of more than 14,000 at Talking Stick Resort Arena unhappy.